Molded pallet having integral and structurally improved tie down points

ABSTRACT

A rectangular pallet formed of a body of moldable material having a lower surface on which the pallet rests, an upper surface configured for supporting goods thereon and a peripheral edge extending therearound providing spaced apart end edges and side edges; first and second structural bars retained within the body spaced intermediate the top and bottom surfaces and adjacent to and spaced from either an end edge or a side edge; notches formed in the edges having structural bars adjacent thereto, each notch exposing a short length of a structural bar providing tie down points for receiving flexible tie down members for use in securing goods to the pallet top surface.

REFERENCE TO PENDING APPLICATIONS

This application is not based upon any pending domestic or international patent applications.

REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX

This application is not referenced in any microfiche appendix.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to pallets and more specifically pallets having integral and structurally improved tie down points.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art

Pallets have long been relied upon to support heavy loads at a predetermined height above a supporting surface. Pallets typically have a top section providing a major surface for receiving loads thereon and a bottom section having a bottom surface which supports the top section above the surrounding surface. The bottom section is usually configured to facilitate accessing the pallet with a fork lift which can then be used to lift the pallets and its load for transportation to a different location.

Early pallets were typically constructed of wood. These pallets usually have spaced apart, parallel joists with spaced apart, perpendicular lateral stringers on the top and bottom of the joists. These early pallets were typically made of inexpensive wood and held together with nails.

Over time pallets have become more sophisticated as different requirements have arisen. Today a common type of pallet is one that is molded of plastic or fiberglass. Plastic is the preferred material for pallets as it can be readily molded and resist deterioration in wet environments.

Molded plastic pallets can preferably be made by using the rotational molding process. This process produces a superior quality pallet having consistent material thickness. As pallets have grown in size and sophistication, larger and heavier products are shipped on them. For this reason it is important that provision can be made for securing products to the pallets. Others have provided pallets having improved means for securing a load. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,718,887 to Cook discloses a load divider for use with a pallet to enable a plurality of layers of products to be positioned on the pallet. Each of the dividers includes a “banding slot” as illustrated in FIG. 1 of this patent and identified by the numeral 30.

For background information relative to the design and construction of improved pallets reference may be had to the following previously issued United States patents:

Patent Number Inventor Title D371,881 Provot Pallet D417,539 Koskinen Pallet 4,735,154 Hemery Reinforced Loading Pallet and Process For Reinforcing Same 4,869,179 Sammons et al. Interchangeable Part Plastic Pallet 5,197,396 Breezer et al. Double Deck Plastic Pallet 5,408,937 Knight IV et al. Ventilated Pallet 5,809,907 Bumgarner Pallet Assembly 5,868,080 Wyler et al. Reinforced Plastic Pallets and Methods of Fabrication 6,125,770 Brandenburg Plastic Pallet 6,357,366 Frankenberg Rackable Molded Pallet 6,418,861 Flam Modular Pallet Construction 6,446,563 Ohanesian Thermoplastic Pallet 6,718,887 Cook Sr. Pallet Divider 6,807,911 Carson et al. Pallet With Stress Resistant Structure

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention herein consists of a rectangular pallet formed of a body of moldable material. The pallet body has a lower surface on which the pallet rests and an upper surface configured for supporting goods thereon. A peripheral edge extends around the pallet providing spaced apart end edges and side edges, the side edges being perpendicular to the end edges. Structural bars, preferably of stainless steel are retained within the body by being molded in place and are spaced intermediate the top and bottom surfaces. The bars are positioned adjacent to but spaced slightly from the end edges and side edges.

Notches are formed in the pallet edges in a way that each notch exposes a short length of a structural bar. The exposed lengths of bars provide tie down points for receiving tie down members for use in securing goods to the pallet top surface.

In a preferred arrangement the structural bars are formed of metal, and most preferably are formed of tubular metal rods.

Fork lift slots are conveniently spaced intermediate the top and bottom surfaces and below the structural bars.

As is characteristic of most molded pallets in use today the pallet of this invention preferably is configured with recesses in the top and bottom surfaces forming a structural pattern that provides strength while reducing the weight of the pallet.

A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings and the attached claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a pallet that incorporates the principals of this invention. The pallet is formed of molded plastic and has an upper surface as seen in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view showing the bottom surface of the pallet. The top and bottom surfaces are horizontal and spaced from each other a uniform distance that is the thickness of the pallet.

FIG. 3 is an elevational cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is another elevational cross-sectional view, this one taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

It is to be understood that the invention that is now to be described is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in a variety of ways. The phraseology and terminology employed herein are for purposes of description and not limitation.

Elements shown by the drawings are identified by the following numbers:

10 Pallet 12 Side edge 14 Side edge 16 End edge 18 End edge 20 Top 22 Bottom 24 Voids in top surface 26 Voids in bottom surface 28 Notches in the end and side edges 30A-D Structural bars 32 openings

Referring the drawings and first to FIG. 1, a top isometric view is shown of a pallet that exemplifies the principals of this invention. The pallet as shown in FIG. 1 is rectangular, that is, longer than it is wide. In some embodiments the pallet may be square and the invention herein is equally applicable to either configuration.

In FIG. 1 the pallet is generally indicated by the numeral 10. The pallet illustrated in FIG. 1, as previously mentioned, is rectangular and has opposed paralleled side edges 12 and 14 and, perpendicular thereto, opposed end edges 16 and 18. Pallet 10 has a top horizontal surface 20 and, corresponding, a bottom horizontal surface 22. Pallet 10 is preferably manufactured as a molded plastic product. While various molding techniques can be employed, the product is well suited for manufacturer by rotational molding. A major use of the pallet is to store and transport material. Therefore high strength is an essential requirement. However, the total weight of the pallet is also relevant. For this reason, pallet 10, like previously known pallets made of molded plastic material, is preferably manufactured in a grid-like format that is with elongated portions of the pallet that have full thickness integrity from one end to the other or from one side to the other. These integral, full thickness portions function as integral structural members like joists in a wood framed structure or like I-beams in a steel structure. Interspersed with these full thickness portions are other portions that are void through the full thickness of the pallet. Void portions may be formed by recesses in the top surface 20 or the bottom surface 22. Voids or recesses in the upper surface 22 are illustrated, by example, by the numeral 24. Voids in the bottom surface are illustrated, as examples, by the numeral 26. In designing the details of a molded pallet such as that shown in FIG. 1, engineers select designs to provide the maximum overall strength relative to total weight of the pallet along with designs that add utility to the pallet.

Cross-sectional FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a design in which top surface 20 has voids 24, some of which communicate with voids 26 in bottom surface 22.

As seen in the drawings, top surface 20 has a series of spaced apart notches along each of the end edges 16 and 18 and side edges 12 and 14. Notches in the end edges 16 and 18 as well as notches in the side edges 12 and 14 are indicated by the numeral 28. In the illustrated design each of the side edges 12 and 14 has five notches 28 and, in like manner, each of the end edges 16 and 18 has five notches 28 therein. Thus in the pallet upper surface 20 twenty notches 28 are provided.

Integrally formed within the pallet and spaced slightly below top surface 20 and slightly inwardly of side edges 12 and 14 and end edges 16 and 18 are four structural bars 30A, 30B, 30C and 30D. All of the structural bars 30A, 30B, 30C and 30D are seen in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2 only structural bars 30B and 30D are seen as exposed by notches 28 and in FIGS. 3 and 4, only structural bars 30C and 30D are seen and these only in cross-section.

Structural bars 30A, 30B, 30C and 30D are preferably formed of metal, such as steel or stainless steel. The structural bars may be solid, or as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the bars may be tubular. The structural bars 30A, 30B, 30C and 30D are preferably fully enclosed in the material of which the pallet 10 is molded except where the bars are exposed by notches 28. In this manner the bars are not in position to cause damage to any object into which the pallet may come in contact and the bars are preserved from corrosive fluids and gases, except at notches 28.

Structural bars 30A, 30B, 30C and 30D as exposed in spaced apart locations by notches 28 provides convenient tie down points. There are thus as many tie down points at the top surface 20 of pallet 10 as notches 28. When heavy loads are carried on the pallets in certain shipping conditions, it is important that the loads be fastened securely to the pallets. This is particularly true if pallets are used in aircraft where the pallets are subjected to stresses from the load carried thereon upon take off, landings and turbulent weather. The same is true for pallets used on ships that are subject to rough seas. Therefore, convenient structural tie down points are very important and add materially to the usefulness and convenience of pallet 10 as illustrated herein.

Pallets are frequently moved from one location to another by a fork lift. For this reason, pallet 20 as illustrated herein has provision for receiving the tines of a fork lift. FIG. 2 shows openings 32 formed in the molded pallet that can receive fork lift tines (not shown). The openings 32 are positioned below the elevation of notches 28 and the structural bars exposed at each notch 28 so that room exists for tie down members to extend within a notch and around a structural bar in a way that will not interfere with fork lift tines.

Structural bars 30A, 30B, 30C and 30D are, as stated above, preferably formed of metal and can be solid bars or tubular bars, however the bars can be formed of non-metallic material, including stiff, rigid plastic or fiberglass. When a pallet of this invention is particularly designed for use in corrosive atmospheres it may be desirable, in some instances, to provide bars 30A, 30B, 30C and 30D made other than of metal. Except for resisting corrosion, the use of metal bars is deemed to be the preferred embodiment of the invention.

As previously stated, it is important to tie down materials positioned on the pallet to resist displacement, and for this reason it is customary to use nets that are spread over goods placed on the pallet and the periphery of the nets are then secured to the pallet. These kinds of nets are sometimes referred to as “cargo nets”. The improved integral and structural tie down points provided by pallets of this invention make the pallet particularly useful in combination with nets of various types. Most net systems function best with multiple attachment points between the net and the pallet. The molded pallet as described herein has integral and structurally improved tie down points that make it specifically useful to receive nets and to receive loads that are best retained on the pallet by the use of nets.

The pallet of this invention is particularly useful in combination with a metal pallet. Metal pallets are very useful for supporting large and heavy loads but have the disadvantage of being very expensive. The molded pallet of this invention can be used by positioning it on a metal pallet so that when a delivery of goods is made to a destination, the molded pallet can be used to transfer the goods to the final destination and the metal pallet can then be conveniently returned on the carrier by which it arrived. This system is sometimes referred to as associate intermodial platform pallets that goes by the abbreviation AIP pallets. This is another illustration of the application of the pallet of this invention for improved movement and storage of materials.

While the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is manifest that many changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of components without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. It is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein for purposes of exemplification, but is to be limited only by the scope of the attached claims, including the full range of equivalency to which each element thereof is entitled. 

1. A rectangular pallet formed of a body of moldable material having a lower surface on which the pallet rests and an upper surface configured for supporting goods thereon and a peripheral edge extending therearound providing spaced apart end edges and side edges; first and second structural bars retained within said body spaced intermediate said top and bottom surfaces and adjacent to and spaced from either said end edges or said side edges; notches formed in said edges having said structural bars adjacent thereto, each notch exposing a short length of a said structural bar providing tie down points for receiving flexible tie down members for use in securing goods to said pallet top surface.
 2. A rectangular pallet according to claim 1 wherein said structural bars are retained within said body adjacent both said end edges and said side edges and wherein both said side edges and end edges having spaced apart notches provide spaced apart tie down points along all edges of said pallet.
 3. A rectangular pallet according to claim 1 wherein said structural bars are metal bars.
 4. A rectangular pallet according to claim 1 wherein said structural bars are tubular.
 5. A rectangular pallet according to claim 1 wherein said body includes fork lift slots therein spaced intermediate said top and bottom surfaces and below said structural bars.
 6. A rectangular pallet according to claim 1 wherein said body has recesses in said bottom surface forming a structural pattern providing required strength while reducing the weight of said pallet. 